Current-interrupter in conducting-rail-contact systems.



- J. F; BJURLUND..

CURRENT INTERRUPTER IN CDNDUCTING B AIL CONTACT SYSTEMS.

Patented Mar. l9, I901.

(Application fil ed Sept. 26, 1900.)

0f INVENTOR WITNESSES ywuzlfi I 1 ITE STATES.

PATENT FFICE.

JOHN F. BJURLUND, OF RICHMOND HILL, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TOJOSEPH S. MORISON, OF SAME PLACE.

CURRENT-INTERRUPTER IN CONDUCTING-RAlL-CONTACT SYSTEMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Fatent No. 670,380, dated March19, 1901. Application filed September 26, 1900. Serial No. 31,139- (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN F. BJURLUND, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and

a resident of Richmond Hill, borough of 5 Queens, city and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCurrent-Interrupters in Oonducting-Rail Contact Systems, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention consists of improved means for interrupting the electriccurrent between the conducting-rail and the contact-shoe and preventingthe current from following the shoe through space when lifted forbreaking the circuit, as. hereinafter described, reference being made tothe accompanying drawings, in which' Figure l is a plan View of a carinverted and equipped for taking the electric current by the third-railsystem and provided with current-iut-errupters in accordance with myinvention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail inside elevation of the contact-shoe and interrupting apparatus with theshoe in contact with the conductingrail. Fig. 4. is a detail in sideelevation of the contact-shoe and interrupting apparatus with the shoelifted out of contact and the interrupter in the position for cuttingoff the current.

A represents the conducting-rail, and acoutact-shoes for gliding alongthe rail as the car runs to take the electric current from the rail fortransmission to the motors, as usual. Said motors and the conductingwires are not shown, being unnecessary-to a proper understanding of theinvention to be hereinafter claimed.

The contact-shoes are suspended from the car over the rail A for makingand breaking contact, as usualfor example, by a staff 1), arranged toslide in a guideway c, mounted on a part of the car, as bracket-arm d,to the lower ends of which stafi the shoe is pivoted at e in anysuitable insulated joint, said staff being jointed at the upper end toan armf of a rock-shaft g, to an arm h of which a rod 7: is connected,said rod being connected to a lever j, with which hand-levers 7c arecon- 5o nected by rods Z, suitably arranged for enabling the motorman tocontrol the contactshoes at will.

, The staffs b are connected to armsf by a stud m of each arm and a slot02 of the staff, allowing the stafi to rise and fall asthe rails mayvary on the surface without obstruction by the armsf, as would be thecase if the joints were rigid. The slots 4?. are enlarged at the lowerend to admit the heads of the studsm in a well-known contrivance forready 6o connection and disconnection. With the shoes thus or in anyother way mounted I provide a current-interrupter of non-cond uctingmaterial, as o, in any suitable contrivance for being automatically andquickly thrust into the space between the rail and the shoe .when theshoe is lifted, and thus positively interrupt the current and preventthe present objectionable continuation of the current throhgh space intothe shoe even when raised to a considerable height, and thus materiallyinterfering with the prompt control of the car.

The means which I have thus represented in this case for so operatingthe interrupters consists of an interrupter-supporting stafi p,suspended by parallel bars (1 .9, one of which is pivoted to bracket-armd and the other is keyed to rock-shaft g, so as to swing toward shoeawhen said shaft is operated to lift the shoe, said bars beingpivot-jointed with stafi 8o 19. The relation of the interrupterapparatus to the shoe is such that the interrupter normally rests withits free end in close proximity to oneend of the shoe and in a slightlyhigher level than the shoe when the shoe is in contact with the rail.The parallel bars q s are longer than the arm f, so that the range ofmovement of the interrupter is greater than the movement of the shoe.Therefore when the shoe is raised a suitable height to clear theinterrupter the latter is thrust forward between the shoe and the rail adistance sufficient to out the field of current between the rail andshoe and promptly and totally interrupt the current.

The bars 3 and q will consist wholly or partly of non-conductingmaterial to prevent comm unication of the current with the metallicparts of the car structure. 7

It is manifest that various contrivancesof 10o apparatus may be employedfor thus operating the interrupter, and I do not limit myself to thespecial contrivances represented for the purpose.

and the rock-shaft and lover mechanism for operating it, of aninterrupter for the electric current, and means for thrusting it betweenthe shoe and the rail and withdrawing it therefrom connected with therock-shaft, and being operative through the instrulnentality of theshoe-operating lever.

Signed at Richmond Hill, New York, this 21st day of August, 1900.

JOHN F. BJURLUND. Witnesses:

JOHN W. MAGEE, ERNST FRIEDRICH.

